Yummy Lemon Chia Seed Muffins (gluten free, paleo, vegan)

These lemon chia seed muffins are FILLED with lemon flavor from using fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, lemon paste, AND a lemon glaze. YUM!

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

DO FIRST - Make chia seed or flaxseed eggs if using and set aside to rest for 5 minutes before mixing them in.

Step 2

CHIA EGG - 1 egg= 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal or chia seeds+ 3 Tbsp water*Flax or Chia Egg are made by combining 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal or 1 Tbsp Chia Seeds with 3 Tbsp water for each egg. Let them sit 5 minutes before use.

Step 3

ZEST & JUICE - Zest the lemons. Halve and juice the lemons.

Step 4

WHISK WET - In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Stir together lemon zest, lemon juice, milk, chia seed egg, monk fruit, applesauce, oil, vanilla, and lemon extract (if using). Whisk until smooth.

Step 5

ADD DRY - Next, add the dry ingredients. Add almond flour, gluten-free flour or cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chia seeds to the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined. Finally, mix everything together JUST until a thick batter forms and all streaks of flour are gone. *** It's important not to over-mix the batter and it's okay if the batter is lumpy- that's actually ideal for these muffins.***

Step 6

LINE - Insert 12 cupcake liners into muffin tin. I like to use silicone baking cups. Lightly brush each cup with oil.

Step 7

FILL - Fill each cupcake liner with batter until ⅞ full, but not overflowing. Since the muffins will rise and may spread to the sides a bit.

Step 8

REST - Let the muffin batter rest for 30 minutes before baking. While letting the batter rest isn’t 100% necessary, it will allow the batter to rise more. If you want to skip this step the muffins will still taste great, but not rise as high in the oven.

Step 9

PREHEAT - Towards the end of letting the batter rest, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 10

BAKE - Place the muffins on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes until cooked through. Try not to open the oven door to check on the muffins or they may deflate and just check them with an oven light. They should be slightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs.

Step 11

COOL - Remove the muffins from the oven. Allow muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan before transferring to a cooling rack.

Step 12

8. After 5 minutes, remove and let cool completely on a wire rack. If the muffins are sticking to the baking tray at all, gently run a knife along the edges to help remove. Do not let them cool completely in the pan or they will overcook and risk turning dry.

Step 13

• You can use any kind of plant based milk for this recipe–oat, almond, soy, etc. Whatever you drink!

Step 14

• As the batter sits to rest before baking it will become THICK. Lumpy batter is okay- Just bake it! If your muffins are way too thick it is likely from adding in too much flour or using incorrect measurements of baking powder/baking soda.

Step 15

• Muffins will keep at room temperature in a closed container or wrapped in tin foil on a counter for 2-3 days. They can also be stored in a closed container in the fridge up to 5 days (but it will affect the texture) and in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Step 16

• Muffins will store longer without glaze on top. To enjoy frozen muffins, let defrost at room temperature. I personally recommend storing muffins in the freezer if storing longer than 2-3 days to maintain muffin texture.

Step 17

• Applesauce can be subbed 1:1 (volume not grams) with plant-based yogurt

Step 18

• The antique muffin tin I used (pictured) is slightly larger than standard muffin tins and made 6 muffins, but when testing this recipe in my standard pan it made 7-8 muffins.